Irish citizenship and passports for children born abroad

Introduction

This page outlines how to get Irish citizenship for children who were born abroad and have an Irish parent. It also covers how to apply for an Irish passport for children born abroad.

Irish citizenship for children born outside Ireland

Children born abroad

If you (or the other parent of your child) are an Irish citizen who was born in Ireland, then your child is automatically an Irish citizen, no matter where they are born. This means that you can apply for an Irish passport for your child.

If you or your child’s other parent were not born in Ireland, but one of you is an Irish citizen, your child can get Irish citizenship, but you must register your child’s birth in the Foreign Birth Register. Your child can apply for an Irish passport once they are registered in the Foreign Birth Register.

Children adopted abroad

Adopted children have the same rights as your biological children as long as the adoption is recognised under Irish law.

If you intend to adopt a child while living abroad, you should contact the Adoption Authority of Ireland.

If you have already adopted a child abroad and you have not registered the adoption in Ireland, you should apply for the adoption to be entered in the Register of Intercountry Adoptions.

Once it is registered in Ireland, the adoption has the same legal status as if the adoption was made in Ireland.

Step children

Step children are not automatically entitled to citizenship but they may be eligible for residency under family reunification provisions.

Irish passports for children born outside Ireland

Passport Online

Your child must have their own passport and cannot be included on your passport. You can apply for your child’s first passport using the Passport Online service from anywhere in the world on a smartphone, tablet, or computer.

If you are unable to access Passport Online, contact your local Irish Embassy or Consulate for information on how to get a paper form and how to submit it. You cannot download an application form.

The Department of Foreign Affairs has up-to-date information on what documents you will need for the application.

Post Passport

You can also use the Post Passport service provided by An Post if you have moved back to Ireland and want to apply for your child’s passport. Be aware that applications can take approximately 6-8 weeks to process.

If you are an Irish citizen living in Ireland and would like to use the Post Passport service, you must follow several steps.

Make sure you have the following:

  • 4 passport photographs of the child, 2 of which have been signed by a witness as per instructions provided with the application form
  • Child's birth certificate
  • Appropriate fee
  • PPS number (if the child is resident in Ireland)
  • Additional documentation to confirm the child’s Irish citizenship. The documents you need to provide depend on how your child became an Irish citizen.

Read more about the documents you need when applying for a child’s passport.

Documents needed if the child’s parents are Irish citizens who were born in Ireland

You must provide the following documents:

  • Your child’s full birth certificate
  • Your full birth certificate
  • Your marriage certificate (if applicable)

Depending on your situation, you may need to provide further documentation.

Documents needed if the child’s parents are Irish citizens who were not born in Ireland

If you or your child’s other parent were not born in Ireland, but one of you is an Irish citizen, you must register your child’s birth in the Foreign Birth Register.

You will get a Certificate of Registration, which you can then use along with the documents listed above to apply for the passport at your nearest Irish embassy or consulate.

You can read more on applying for your child's first Irish passport.

Useful contacts

Passport Office (Dublin)

Knockmaun House
42-47 Lower Mount Street
Dublin 2
D02 TN83
Opening Hours: 9:00am–5:00pm, Mon-Fri

Passport Office (Cork)

Passport Office
1a South Mall
Cork
T12 TA46
Opening Hours: 9:00am–5:00pm, Mon-Fri

Phone

You can call the Customer Service Hub on:

  • +353 1 671 1633 for Passport queries, and
  • +353 1 568 3331 for Foreign Birth Registration queries.

Phone lines are open from 9am–4:30pm, Monday to Friday.

WebChat

WebChat is open from 9am–4.30pm, Monday to Friday. During business hours, please refresh the page if the webchat icon is grey. When it is green, you can connect to a WebChat agent.

Page edited: 12 March 2024